South Bend

Look on the bright side....

by ACLdragonfly

Looking on the bright side is not always an easy thing one can do, especially when things are not going the way one feels they should be or hoped they would be. However, when one figures out how to look through the negative things in life and focus on the good, one's whole outlook on life will change and what used to seem hard and depressing will pass smoothly and the stress levels will decrease.

Time and time again, when I find myself getting down, I tell myself to step outside of my box and take a look at the whole picture versus just what I see in the moment. Sometimes I can be so blinded by the walls of my box that I don't realize how much is going on outside; things that impact into what's going on in my life. I find it amazing just how much easier it is to deal with things when I do step back and get perspective on all the factors contributing to what's going on; whether it's positive or negative, it helps me get through life.

I encourage you all to step outside of your box and really look at what's going on around you. Look for the positive in situations going on in your life and try to notice the positive aspect of the people you meet everyday.  Making fast assumptions and judgments can hinder your actions. Have you ever met someone and immediately thought that no matter what, you wouldn't get a long with them? Then after spending a short amount of time with this person you realize just how good they are?  People are very interesting and there are so many walls people put up in order to protect themselves from what others may think of them. Give people a chance to break down their own protective walls and allow them to prove themselves.

The Bible implies we should knock the sand out of our shoes after three days. Roughly translated, we should mourn briefly, move on swiftly, and smile through lives ups-and-downs. Just think about it. :)

I hope you all have an outstanding week and remember to SMILE!  Be Blessed.

Spring Love

Water Falls
by Nic S Williams, Ivy Tech Poetry and Lit. Club

The water falls
Cascading down my face
Every drop takes my breath away
I would like to be with you.

SGWhat?

by Jerry Madsen

Did you know that as a student of Ivy Tech Community College, there is a group of fellow students who have committed themselves to representing the needs of the student body?  That would be the Student Government Association or better know as SGA.

SGA serves 6 key functions for the student body:

1. They advocate for student rights and interests – As the voice of the student body, SGA’s more vital role is real representation.  They champion student interests, from keeping tuition reasonable to making sure class times and availabilities fit student needs to making sure parking lots are safe.
2. They have funding authority – They administer the students’ activity fees to student clubs and organizations.  They see to it that student activities fees are spent on initiatives that represent student interests.
3. They plan and organize student activities – While students may not be aware of all the lobbying efforts on their behalf, they do take notice of student programming.  SGA sees to it that student activities are geared towards the things students are interested in.
4. They perform campus and community service – They take on specific service projects and encourage the student body to get involved to help those in the community we serve.
5. They maintain a good relationship with the administration – They make every effort to maintain a positive relationship with the administration that is based on open communication.
6. They have control over hiring and firing of SG staff, removing corrupt officers and provide general oversight for all student clubs – They serve as a built-in form of checks and balances within the student club and organization system.

Who is are your SGA Officers and Reps?

• Stephanie Nicklas, President
• Darryl Mitchell, Vice President
• Lori Hicks, Secretary
• Brandi Morales, Treasurer
• Nikki Johnson, Representative
• Lou Ann Martin, Representative

Are you interested in serving on SGA or voicing a concern at a meeting?  SGA meetings are held in room 1148 every Wednesday at 3 p.m.  Feel free to forward any questions or concerns to any member of SGA or adviser Jerry Madsen.

Sunny Days are on their way

by Weston Payne, Ivy Tech Poetry and Lit. Club

Ever wonder where the sun goes when it goes down,
when the moon floats in the sky and darkness surrounds.
Star gaze into the night,
grab a loved one hold them tight.
The sun will be back tomorrow,
so soak up all your sorrow.
Sunny days are on their way.
and maybe this time they'll stay.

In A Blurr

by ACLdragonfly

Why are friends so IMPORTANT?

Why do you MISS friends when you are away from each other?

What makes a GOOD friend?

Friends play a very important part in a persons' life.  I have been thinking about friendship a lot lately well more like the past six hours. What would you do with out your friends?  Have you forgotten all the wonderful things they have done for you today, last week, a year ago?  Hold them all close to your hearts and thank God for them everyday.  Good friends can be hard to come by most of  the time, so when you find one/many they should be very dear to you.  Here are just few fun things about friends:

Friendship is...a gift that can be opened ever day, and it still holds lots of happy, sweet surprises.

It's the friends we meet along life's way who makethe trip more fun.

A friend is quick to listen, slow to judge, and always ready to shop.

Friends are always having way more fun that it really makes sense to be having.

When the laughter is light and the memories are many but time is too short...you know you're with a Friend.

A good friend...calls back if you don't sound quite like yourself.

Friends make the good things better and the bad things not so bad...simply by being there.

When I first realized I was going to have to transfer schools and leave Cornerstone, one of the first things that hit me was the fact that I would be leaving all my friends behind and would be entering unknown territory. It was a very hard thing for me to deal with, but one things I learned was this; when time and distance separate a friendship, if it really means something to both people involved the friendship will only get stronger with time. When the semester came to a close and it was time for me to leave, I had a peace about me. I knew that no matter what, the friends who actually care would be there, no matter the circumstances.

Now that I've moved back to Indiana and have gotten my own apartment, been going to school, and have a few new jobs, I've been making plenty of new friends. That's the best part of going someplace new. I love to meet new people and hear their stories of how they became who they are today. Ivy Tech is a great place to meet new people of all different backgrounds. It's wonderful!!

Considering that it is almost Valentine's Day. :) Let those who are close to you know how much they mean to you. Some people go throughout their whole lives not knowing they were appreciated, don't let that happen to one of your close friends or family members.

Have a wonderful, blessed day!

~*ACLdragonfly*~

Finally, Here I am

by Darryl Mitchell

Here I am.  I know some people have been waiting for a guy like me for a long time. 

I am the truth sayer.  See, I'm the kind of guy who will say what you all want to say. 

First, of all let me give out my credentials to all of those who do not know me.  My name is Amengo Montoya you killed my father prepare to die! LOL.  (That's from the Princess Bride for those who don't know.)  But seriously my name is Darryl Mitchell.  I am a father of 3 (two girls and a boy), I am taking 5 classes this semester, I work in the Ivy Tech Library in South Bend, I tutor Math and Financial Accounting, I have a 3.3 GPA, and I am a member of 4 different student organizations on campus (I hold office in 3 of them).  So needless to say I have a little insight as to what is going on around here.  I do not bite my tongue because I realized that it hurts.  So let me get something off my mind.

One thing that I noticed is that most students come to Ivy Tech because it is either the only place they can go or it's the only place they can afford.  I pride myself on being an Ivy Tech student, but lately I haven't been as happy as I should be or would like to be. 

I said I was a member of 4 student organizations.  Well that use to be 5 until recently and honestly I act like it does not bother me but it does.  The Campus Activity Board, an organization that I prided myself to be a member of, has just been put on the table and laid to rest in a catatonic state.  It may be brought back to life and it may not.  For those who do not know, the Campus Activity Board (or CAB as we called it) was an organization that is designed to give the students at Ivy Tech activities to give them a better college experience.  I believe that it bothers me a little more than most because I know what is expected of this school at the regional level when it comes to student retention and increasing enrollment and while I won't get into the particulars, I will say that right now our campus is on the short end of the stick.  There are several reasons as to why Ivy Tech South Bend is at the level that it is and part of it is not the fault of the school but part of it is. 

I know that the only way to get this Campus above a sub par level is to increase student life.  The organization that was here a couple of years ago understood that, but for some reason this belief has been cast away.  I will admit, when I first came to Ivy Tech it was because the school was cheaper than IUSB and if I was never introduced to Jerry Madsen (Director of Student Life), I'm positive that I would have never known about all of the student organizations if not for him.  Since I hooked up with Jerry, my college life is more fulfilling than I had ever thought it would be at Ivy Tech.  I have met many interesting people through different clubs and am in the process right now of bringing a nationwide co-ed fraternity to Ivy Tech.  I will admit that the demographic at Ivy Tech is nothing like major universities but there is no reason that we can't do some of the things that they do.

What I am asking today is that all students, no matter what campus you are on or what your goals may be, just think about and look into some of the organizations that are at your campus.  And to those here at Ivy Tech South Bend, I need your help to improve student life.  I know that some of you have to work and some of you have other obligations that may hold you back but there are other ways that you can help, by partial memberships and so on.  In order to improve this campus it is on us the students not the staff.  The students make Ivy Tech what it is today and if you are not willing to do what you can to help improve the school then you have no right to complain about it.

If anyone wishes to contact me about student organizations, or just wishes to converse on a one on one level just e-mail me dmitchell73@ivytech.edu  This school is what we make of it and I wish to make it great for years to come.

You Can't Handle The Truth

Poetry and Lit - New to the blog!

by Weston Payne

Welcome to the Poetry and Lit blogging. A place where you can read poetry from students and write your own poetry and I will post it. We will post all different types of poetry and lit. I will also try to get a poem of the week going. Please send suggestions for to wpayne4@ivytech.edu

What you can find websurfing

by Ladifrog

I came across a website this weekend while surfing the net that I think we all need to see.  It doesn't matter if you are pro Bush or anti Bush, we should all be pro Soldiers!  Those boys and girls over in the desert are away from home and doing the job they were given to do.  Whether or not you agree with that job, they are still there and we should show them our support.

The site I found is: www.letssaythanks.com.  The site is powered by Xerox and will print a thank you postcard to be sent overseas.  I've already done mine, lets see how many cards they can get from our area. 

I don't personally know any soldiers at the moment in the desert, but I do have several friends who went over as private contractors.  They all said how lonely it could be over there and if not for the cards, letters, IM's and other forms of communication, they would have been lost.  Let's do this one simple thing for the troops that are over there now.

Ladifrog

The Addition...

by ACLdragonfly

Hello Everyone! I am a new blogger, new student, and a new Work study here at Ivy Tech Community College. I just recently transfered for Cornerstone University in Grand Rapids, Michigan where I was studying Family Studies. I am now enrolled in the Human Services Program here at Ivy Tech. It's a small program but it's growing fast.

When I went to the new student orientation I got really excited about taking classes and getting involved here at the school. It didn't take much time before I was seeking out ways to get involved on campus. Within a few days I was part of the Campus Activity Board, and getting involved where ever I could. Ivy Tech really is a cool place. I never knew  Community college would be so much fun. :) The professors are nice, the students are actually here to learn, and the South Bend Campus is really nice.

It's now time for me to get back to work. You'll all be hearing from me again soon. Please keep in mind the conditions of the roads when you go out, be sure to leave extra early to avoid rushing.

~*ACLdragonfly*~

"Life goes on. You live through the best and trudge through the worst, but ALL IN ALL You keep going."